Numb
by Kylelover101
Summary: He's banging on the door, he's looking all control again. He's sittin in the tub, he's poppin' up the junk again. And all the water in Heaven's streams couldn't ever wash him clean in my head. WARNINGS: Drug abuse and Character Death.


**Hello everyone, this is Kylelover101 with another one shot. It's pretty lengthy and it's quite sad, but nevertheless I hope you all enjoy. **

**-Kylelover101**

* * *

Title: **Numb**

**Summary:** He's banging on the door, he's looking all control again. He's sittin in the tub, he's poppin' up the junk again. And all the water in Heaven's streams couldn't ever wash him clean in my head.

Rating: **T**

* * *

_Pop. _

_Dry swallow. _

_Smack your lips._

_ Feel your iris shrink. _

_Pop, pop, pop. _

_Swallow. _

_Guzzle. _

_Gulp. _

_Laugh. _

_Repeat._

Darry thinks he's sleeping, in the dead of night. Does anything ever happen unless it's in sight? The little voice in the back of his head takes control, his body moves, but really he's dead. Tiptoe into the kitchen, he can't wake anyone. He's got a headache, same old, tired,worn up excuse. Pills all pretty in color, shape and sizes. Pink for the morning, blue after dinner, yellow and white are a treat when bored at night.

Yesterday he took two, tonight, why not four? Double dose, double the work, the faster the relief. No need for water, his mouth is used to the ordeal, just pop, swallow and that's the midnight meal.

"Where's the aspirin?!" Darry grumbles from the kitchen.

I ate it all. Ponyboy wants to admit, guiltless. Instead he stifles and laugh and shuffles to his room. He giggles into his pillows, enjoying the salty taste from the tears crying out of his eyes.

"Pony? Are you alright?" Soda asks knocking on their bedroom door.

"Heard a funny joke." Pony lied.

Soda isn't so sure.

Darry calls out that he's going shopping and Ponyboy is right behind him on his heels, ready to tag along. At the store Darry looks at the list closely and carefully while Ponyboy is bouncing, ready to hit the pharmacy isle. Darry compares prices while Ponyboy just dumps them in the cart. Thankfully, Darry notices and harshly puts them back on the shelf, much to Pony's whines and protests. He's getting desperate for Darry to but more than just a tiny bottle containing eight pills of Aspirin. He wants the family deluxe pack of twenty.

"Get off of the floor, Pony!" Darry growls, hoping no one was looking as Pony cries, pouting like a child, having his arms and legs wrapped around Darry's leg.

"Please, the big bottle, Darry! I need that one!" Pony sobs.

"Get off of me, and stand up! You're acting like a child, Pony!" Darry didn't see the signs, he couldn't see the emerald eyes that were once lively and charitable, turn dull and desperate. If he knew right then and there Pony had a problem, he wouldn't have bought the big bottle. He wouldn't have gotten ANY pills. But Darry wanted Ponyboy to knock it off, he gave in and even let Pony hold the bottle on the way out of the store. Delighted, the bleach blonde skipped after his brother.

He giggled, Darry obviously didn't see with his eyes.

Tonight he's slipping out of Soda's hold, his stomach grumbling and the irritating ringing in his ears is back. Johnny's last breath, the shot that knocked Dallas six feet under, they're all back. He's gotta' get rid of them. He's gotta' eat something.

_Crackle._

_Snip._

_"Stupid wrapper"_

_Snap._

_Pop!_

_Forget the lid, it's just in the way. _

_Lick your lips. O__pen wide. _

_H__e chows down like it's candy._ White pills are the powdery best. They leave him with a riddled aftertaste that he lets his tongue pick up like it's sugar. Pretty soon he's down to less than three. That's when the light flicks on and he freezes.

"Pony?" It's Soda.

"What are you doing out bed?"

Is eyes are wide and he scrambles to put the pills back. "Sorry, Soda." Hiccup. "I had a nightmare. Just needed something to put me to sleep." Soda cocks his eyebrows. "Ponyboy, you're taking aspirin for that?" He's caught, his gig is up, but he'll be dammed if they take it from him! He tightens his grip on the glass bottle.

". . . Did you take any sleeping pills?"

Sleeping pills? They had those? Ponyboy smile turns an unwanted wide length as his smile cracks at the ends. "No, Soda. I haven't. Where are they?"

If Soda had known, he wouldn't have put the tiny blue pill on his little brother's tongue. He wouldn't have even told them they had any. But he wanted Ponyboy to get to sleep. He wanted Ponyboy back in bed, safe and warm. Unbeknownst to him, Ponyboy licked his lips, allowing the sleep to consume him. His belly was full. For now.

Two-Bit normally had his eyes glued to the TV when Mickey mouse was on, but now he starred in horror, his beer bottle slipping from his hand, as he watched Ponyboy, for no reason, laugh while starring at the wall. He was close to it, sitting with his nose pressed against it, laughing. Just. . . laughing. He had seen some crazy things, but this was pretty weird.

"Hey, uh, Pones. You okay?" Two-Bit asked.

"Funny. . . .humorous, hilarious, amusing, comical, comic, droll, witty, facetious, waggish, sidesplitting, uproarious." Ponyboy sputtered out. Two-Bit slowly walked towards the greaser as he listed off words that amused him. Before Two-Bit could get within an arm's length, Ponyboy did the unthinkable and smack his head against the wall. Two-Bit nervously watched on as dust fell from the ceiling and Ponyboy started putting cracks in the wall.

"Pony-"

Ponyboy laughed harder. "Ha, ha, ha! It's funny, it's so funny!"

Two-Bit raced into the kitchen, looking through the bottles of medication. Anything! Just make him stop! He handed the greaser two pink pills and Pony stopped, his breathing turned back to normal and he sat next to Two-Bit ready to stare at the characters pop out of the TV.

If Two-Bit had known, he would have turned off the TV. Maybe then Mickey Mouse wouldn't be "chasing" Pony around the living room.

_Dry heave. _

_Leave it be._

_Pop, pop_

_Snap._

_Crinkle_

_Gulp._

_Toss_

_Another bottle down. _

_Hunger lingers on. _

On the day he doesn't feel well, nor does he look too hot, Steve Randle waltzes in like he owns the place. Ponyboy looks up at him with dark circles under his eyes. He looks like he hadn't slept in weeks Steve notices this and gives him a strange look, one mixed with confusion and slight disgust.

Ponyboy smiled, holding out his hands.

"I need my meds." He whispers. Steve doesn't like the slimy drool coming from Pony's cracked lips, nor the lust-intended eyeballs darted towards him. Ponyboy looks. . . creepy. Steve hesitates for a moment before rushing into the kitchen for a bottle. He doesn't even read it, he's slightly terrified of Ponyboy.

"Here." He chucks the bottle at him. "Sure Darry and Soda said it was okay, kid?"

"Oh, yes. I'm positive." Ponyboy snickers. Steve is freaked out by Pony's limp body hanging off of the couch. His arms are long, dropping off to the floor as they protectively clutch the bottle and like the rest of his body, pale.

"Well, I'm not as dumb as you think I am, if I get lip from Soda or Darry, it's on you!" Steve shook his head, immediately leaving forgetting why he even came to The Curtis'. Still, Steve wasn't that much of a heartless jerk, if he had known, he would have looked past the gruesome looking boy on the couch. He wouldn't have tossed those pills into Pony's hand. Steve would have called Soda or Darry. But he didn't, because Steve wanted to leave the house and avoid the Addict eyes of Pill-Poppin'-Ponyboy Curtis.

_Cough._

_Gag._

_Moan._

_Scream._

_Shake your head._

_Pound on the floor._

_"Johnny. . . "_

_"Dally. . . "_

He's locked himself in the bathroom laughing as his hidden stash of goodies was found by Soda. Ponyboy wanted a little three a.m. quickie and he made the mistake of shaking the bottle too hard, waking the blonde. Soda had asked what he was doing and Ponyboy darted to the only room with a locked door. right now Soda was pounding on it as hard as he could to break it while Darry searched for the screwdriver.

"Have to eat. I'm feeling pain!" Pony cried with an added laugh, to no one but himself.

"Pony! Open the door!" Soda cries. "Please, I'm begging you, open the door!"

Ponyboy just hums to himself. Some pills taste sweet while others bitter. But combined and they make a great treat.

"Ponyboy! Please! Open the door!" Soda's voice falls on deaf ears. Pony's head snapped up. Actually, he can't hear anything anymore, faintly, but not like before. His hands shiver and shake as he searched for the big one. The one he had been saving for a while now.

"Pony!" Soda's crying now. Darry found the screw driver and begins to unlatch the hinges on the door as Pony marvels the red, fishy-smelling pill. This was his last pill (for now) and he wanted to feel it glide down his throat and fill his belly.

"Dear God, Ponyboy, _open the door!_"

_Smack your lips._

_Take a deep breath. _

_It's a big one._

"Ponyboy!"

_Giggle._

_Tilt your head back._

The door burst open.

_Swallow._

* * *

Now he can't feel a thing. He slowly spirals upwards, the sound of his laughter echoing the area in which his body floats upwards. He can literally smell the bullet that killed his friend Dallas. The heat from the fire in Windrixvill is pressed upon his skin as he feels Johnny closer to him. The scream of his father and the shriek of his mother ring in his ears from the auto-wreck long ago.

He's laughing as his body follows the tragedies that took their lives. A line of shower of pills great him as he is ready to meet his fate. And reunite with his family.

Finally, he's numb.

* * *

**A bit on the dark and creepy side. But this was sad and fun to write. A new experience is always a trip. In all seriousness, a moment of silence to those who lost their lives in drug overdoses. Rest in Peace. **

**-Kylelover101 **


End file.
